Glanders during World War One: more fright than hurt
Par Claude MILHAUD*
*Docteur Vétérinaire, Vétérinaire Général Inspecteur (2s), Membre de l’Académie Vétérinaire de France, email clmilhaud@orange.fr
Communication présentée le 16 novembre 2013
Since October 1914, glanders – a wartime disease – threatens all French national territory with its extreme contagiousness. In December of the same year, the intradermal mallein test is adopted, allowing the application of stringent control measures to equine military population, such as the slaughter of reacting animals. These measures quickly limit the number of places of outbreaks and contain the epizootic within the armies’ zone. The measures are strictly applied to all imported equines and to those of allied armies, and therefore reinforce the health status of the country. At the Armistice, glanders is halted and the national equine herd has escaped a health disaster.